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WHAT IS PROSE?

(12/6/2016)

What is prose? Is it a story? Is it a speech? Yes and No. It is a form of language that has no formal metrical or should I say straight structure. It is spoken and written in an ordinary manner. I, yours truly, write my articles in a prose form since it is more understandable than rhythmic tones like poetry. Prose is full of grammatical sentences which are united into paragraphs and make it altogether more appealing in favor of clear and straight language. It can be mixed up with poetry to make a conversational tone called prose poetry.

Prose definitely means written or spoken language in its usual or ordinary form without any metrical restrictions.

Common types of Prose

Nonfictional

This kind of prose (an essay or even a blog) is based on actual events or situations that might trigger controversial opinion. Though it is nonfictional, it can contain nonexistent cases too. Examples of these are biographies, essays and blogs.

Fictional

Unlike the first one, this is purely based on imagination of writer or speaker. Examples of these are poems, novels, and short stories.

Heroic

Heroic prose is a literary work that is written down to hail someone. It employs formulaic expressions. Example is fairytales and legends.

Prose poetry

It has the poetic quality and grabs emotion by using effects and imagery but written in a form of a sentence.

Example:

“A machine named Universe knew about itself what it knew at present, nothing more. Away it skipped, blowing bubbles and careful not to step on Father’s clock.” – Little Theory by Janet Kaplan

Usage of prose

Prose is used in some speeches that express the thoughts and ideas of the speaker. These speeches are mostly used as quotes that use to cite for referencing and some of them were used for inspirational purposes.

Examples:

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” – John F. Kennedy

“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places” – Ernest Hemingway

“The poor are very great people. They teach us so many beautiful things.” – Saint Teresa

These lines are written by the speakers themselves in order to give inspiration or a lesson to the audience or the readers.

Prose is also used in theater plays to make the story more dramatic and involving.

Examples:

“You can be young without money, but you can’t be old without it.” – “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” – Tennessee Williams

“Europe is like a majestic work of art for me. The jewel that would start the apocalypse and is wanted to be seized by the Quarks will be destroyed in Europe. Japan must be the one who will destroy the Pats Jewel before it’s too late.” – General Kreutzer – Pats

(Note: This example is an imaginary write-up of the writer. The writer and the company affiliated will own the said line.)

This is written by the narrator and may be a description of the author’s imagination. This is applicable in narrative essays, short stories and novels. This is also attributed to prose poems.

Examples:

“There was a man who found two leaves and came indoors holding them out saying to his parents that he was a tree.” – The Fall by Russell Edson

There was a guy, in a black suit, waiting for the destruction of Europe to happen. But as he waits for the apocalypse, the Japanese troops with some kind of abilities defend Brussels and Paris with the help of Spanish Forces and have a battle with the black general’s army.

(Note: the second example is another imaginary write-up of the writer. The writer and the company affiliated will own the said line.)

Functions of Prose

Prose function as the comfort zone for writers when they express themselves or they use paraphrasing to their references. They use most spoken languages and dialects. It is used by news reporters, magazine writers, broadcasters, encyclopedia publishers, literature writers, lawmakers, historians and novelists.

Writing Prose

Writing prose needs more creativity and ideas since it is more colorful than direct write-ups like newsletters and expository essays. In writing prose, there are eight things to consider. Let me tell you, some of them are mandatory.

Here are the eight things to consider in writing prose:

Clichés

Clichés are the no.1 problem in prose writing. Even if you use too many words to explain something simple, it can still count as cliché. So to avoid those repeating words, be direct in your prose.

Accuracy

Aside from clichés, some redundant words can be inaccurate; they may seem correct but no one uses them that way any more. Make a straight, non-repeating word that can suit your idea and the story goes on and on.

Word count

Why you type or write almost a hundred words if you can write directly with less than half of the number? You type almost 200 words just to have a sensible prose but you can have such a straight prose for just 23 words. You must also consider the word count and the space available for your paper. You do not want your paper stock to be wasted, do you?

Trusting the reader

Why you describe only one particular topic or any other subject in so many words just to be colorful and noticeable if the readers can also imagine the picture behind the prose. You write because you want readers to be impressed by your talent but let them help you to make your write-up in such a way that they can also edit it or make a comment or suggestion about it. Trust them. They won’t bite.

Double adjective

What is the sense of adverb? Having double adjectives is a violation in prose writing because the second one will weaken the significance of the first one. To prevent that error, you must have drafts and you should know how to compress your imagination into one word. Let the verbs and nouns do the work, and adverbs are a big help too.

Sentence rhythm

Sentences are not only constructing the whole story’s physical structure. It is also the part where the writer’s ideas or imaginations will come up to the paper. Its length is also important since it also tests the interest of the reader on the said write-up. Its rhythm can make it more meaningful, irritating or anything else. So, consider also sentence rhythm and construction.

Dialogue

Prose is mostly used in dialogues. It is the character who will say the line given by the playwright. Some prose comes in dialogues and earns fame and sometimes money for the playwright. It will also deepen the understanding of the author’s statement and of the story because the characters themselves will illustrate the said situation, problems and solutions.

“touch of genius”

The best writers will create a phrase that will occasionally and perfectly capture the reader’s attention. Those phrases in the article, essay, novel, or even in a dialogue can get attention but can be scrutinized by readers themselves. But to make sure that is noticeable, put them about in every paragraph, though do not overdo it. Good quotations can spoil your writing is used excessively.